Blog Tour: Guest Post: To Find My Mother by Mary Wood
Today I am helping to end the blog tour for To Find My Mother by Mary Wood. This is a historical fiction novel that deals with the Holocaust. It is about two young girls and their story of survival and love. Mary is sharing a guest post and talking about the novel! To Find My Mother was just released April 20, 2026. **If you are lucky enough to live in the UK, To Find My Mother is on a Kindle Countdown Deal of 99p until June 8th!**
Book Description:
A HARROWING AND YET UPLIFTING STORY OF SURVIVAL AND LOVE
Best friends Jana and Eva are carefree eight-year-olds in Prague-until Nazi occupation tears their lives apart.
As their mothers are taken away and the girls face the horrors of war, survival becomes all that matters
In Theresienstadt, two desperate women make unimaginable sacrifices to one day find their children.
But will love and hope be enough to help them reunite?
Buy Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK To Find My Mother is on a Kindle Countdown Deal of 99p until June 8th!
Hello everyone,
I am thrilled to be here.
I am an author of 36 Historical Fiction books – 11 of which were written under the pseudonym of Maggie Mason besides these I have written a Gangland Thriller under the pseudonym of Molly Kent. Here for you to enjoy is a summary of my latest book.
TO FIND MY MOTHER is harrowing in parts as it deals with the holocaust – a dreadful time in the world’s history that we all hope is never repeated.
In a very short chapter one, we meet Jana, a young Jewish girl, living in London. searching for her mother.
Then the story behind that search unfolds as we are taken back in real time to 1939.
Jana and her friend, Eva, just eight years old, are playing happily until the moment they hear the drumming sound of many feet pounding the road. In the distance they see what to them is a magnificent sight – rows and rows of soldiers, immaculately dressed, marching as if they were clockwork figures. Unaware of danger, they are soon enveloped in fear as Jana’s mama clutches them to her and utters: ‘Elohim save us.’
So begins a life of segregation, the wearing of the Star of David, and not being allowed to attend school and worst of all, the disappearance of loved ones. Until one day whilst playing in the park across from their apartment block, they hide when their street is suddenly filled with Nazis arriving in trucks. What they witnessed should never be so.
The book follows their journey as they are rescued and cared for by outlying farmers – The rebuilding of their lives to feeling happy and secure with many moments of joy but always lurking in the shadows is their longing to be with their mamas and to know what happened to their Tata’s (father’s).
Their story then goes forward to them being aged thirteen when they find where their mamas are incarcerated – hear tales of starvation and cruelty, but also of other children taking food to the walls of the ghetto where a young girl from inside crawls through to collect it.
Their decision to do this for their mama’s, brings them joy, but leads to the end of life as they know it . . .
For Marie, mama of Jana, and for Lenka, mama of Eva, whose story is told alongside Jana’s and Eva’s, their lives have changed unrecognisably as they try to survive in Theresienstadt. In their quest to avoid the dreaded lists that see hundreds of Jews sent to concentrations camps, leads to a path that’s abhorrent to Marie.
They want to live. They want to find their children. They know this won’t be possible if they are ‘chosen’. The tales they hear of extermination of Jews being carried out in Auschwitz where many are sent, fills them with fear.
Lenka shocks Marie by the measures she takes to progress to a trusted position in an endeavour to keep them safe. For herself, the love she still holds for her beloved husband, Jan, will not let her betray his memory in that way. Having a beautiful voice, she is chosen for the choir which affords her some protection.
One concert is attended by Rolf, an officer of high ranking. When he falls in love with her, her life changes. But is devastated once more when Jana and Eva are captured and by what happens to Eva and then to Lenka, the friend she has had in her life since they were children. . .
This is a story that takes you from, Prague to England, to Argentina. It will tear at your heart and give you moments of heartbreak and of feeling fear for the characters, interspersed with Joy and eventual happiness as you involve yourself in the incredible resilience and courage shown during the Holocaust, not just by the Jewish community but by many who tried to help them, including German soldiers.
All characters are fictious, but events are based on true accounts.
Hope you enjoyed my post. Thank you for having me, Much love to all, Mary x
About the Author:
Mary was brought up in Leicestershire where her family settled when she was six months old, Mary now lives in Blackpool with her beloved husband Roy. Their children have long flown the nest and are living happily with their partners and have extended Mary and Roy’s happiness by giving them eight wonderful grandchildren, and umpteen great grandchildren, all of whom are a joy to them.
Mary began writing in the 1980’s but didn’t find success until she self-published on amazon in 2011. Soon after she was thrilled to be spotted by Pan Macmillan who have since published 24 of her books, including the bestselling Jam Factory Girls series. Her latest being ‘A Lasting Promise’ and ‘Her Hidden courage’.
Soon after being published by Pan Macmillan, Mary was approached by Sphere, a subsidiary of Little Brown Books. Joining them she wrote 12 novels under the pseudonym of Maggie Mason. Including the bestselling, The Half Penny Girls. Her latest Maggie Mason is: A Daughter’s Dream, with one more to come in 2027 yet, untitled.
Mary has now come full circle and is returning to publishing herself with the help of her son, James Wood, as she now cares for her beloved husband and needs to set her own, achievable deadlines, but remains ever grateful to both of her publishers and for all they did for her.
Contact Mary:
Website
YouTube @booksbymarywood8074
TikTok @authormarywood
Instagram @mary.wood.7796420
The Blog Tour:
